1. Richard Cypher has always been an explorer. From a young age, he enjoyed learning from his friend, Zedd, who is a cloud reader. As an adult, he by guiding people through the forest. He returns to his hometown, Heartland, when he hears of his father’s murder. His older brother, Michael, tells him not to investigate. Richard goes to his father’s house anyway and sees a blue clay jar he made as a child. Usually, there is a vine in the jar (one that he hasn’t seen anywhere else). Richard decides to go to the woods and look for it to try to find clues about the murder. When he finds it in the forest, it is strangling a tree. He goes to tear it down, but it stabs him with a thorn. When he tries to get the thorn out, it burrows in deeper. He curses himself for forgetting his knife.

2. Realizing that he is near the boundary, Richard starts heading back towards town for the celebration his politician brother is throwing. He will now be in charge of all the Midlands, rather than just Heartland. Richard sees a girl in a dress too fancy to be traveling through the woods in. He notices that there are four men behind her that seem to be stalking her. He decides to take a path that will cut her off and tell her what is going on. As he waits for her to arrive, he gets nervous that he imagined the danger in the situation. When she arrives, he tells her about the men. She asks if he will help her. He agrees and tells her they should head down the narrow path to get away from them. She goes with him. Eventually, they come to some rocks and start climbing up. When they reach the top of the cliff, two of the men come from the other side of the path. Two more drop in behind them. Richard prepares himself to stand with the girl, though the men offered to let him go. When they attack her and Richard, he feels thunder without the sound. As one of the men charges at them, Richard kicks him into the last remaining one who is already bloody and they fall off the cliff together. Richard grabs the next one and throws him into the leader and they both go over the cliff as well. She explains that the men were a Quad, a team of assassins. They introduce themselves to each other and he learns her name is Kahlan Amnell. She says that she and the Quad are both from the Midlands, the magical land beyond the boundary.

3. Richard takes Kahlan to his brother’s house for the festival. When they arrive, his friend Chase comes to talk to them. Richard introduces them. He then asks his friend, a Boundary Warden, what he was doing there. Chase explains that Michael called in all the Wardens, saying it is for effect. Richard quietly tells him about the men they ran into in the forest, but doesn’t say how they defeated them. Chase suggests that people are coming from the Midlands, over the boundary. Richard starts to wonder if there is truth to what Kahlan said and remembers hearing people saying that others were snatched from air by horrible creatures. Chase tells him that Zedd wants to see him as soon as possible. Richard, looking up and seeing the snake shaped cloud he noticed earlier, realizes he needs to talk to Zedd too. Kahlan gets acquainted with the Westland customs. She notices two people watching Richard. He points out that they are his brother’s advisors. She explains that the Quad should not have been able to follow her. She had the help of five wizards to cross the boundary. The men shouldn’t have been able to follow. He plans for them to stay at his house for a night and then find Zedd to get some answers. Michael appears and gives his speech about accepting the position of First Counselor of Westland. He says that he is ready to lead them in a war against traitors and conspirators. Richard is not sure what he is talking about. Michael continues on to talking about the day when the boundary no longer exists. He wants to unite Westland, Midland, and D’Hara. He wants to stop those that want to start an unnecessary war with the people over the boundary. He continues on the talk about their mother’s death by fire. He goes to Richard afterwards to explain that he wants the people to take on the future with excitement, and that was the spark he needed in them. Richard asks about their father’s murder. Michael indicates that their fool father took something and someone came looking for it. Richard realizes that Michael did all that he could. Richard introduces Kahlan, who explains that she is the reason Richard was late and a mess. Suddenly, Michael molests Kahlan. She takes her fingernail and cuts his chest to get him to release her and walks away. Richard, disgusted with his brother, follows Kahlan. Richard follows.

4. Kahlan tells Richard people are after her because they fear truth. She says that she cannot tell him everything without increasing the danger to both of them. He asks her to tell him someday because he is a seeker or truth. She asks why he calls himself that and he explains Zedd had always called him that since childhood. She tells him that Darken Rahl’s followers are the ones that are after her, but refuses to give any more information. Richard thinks about the things his father trusted to him, but he forgot at the house that morning. There was a book and a tooth he strung and usually wore around his neck. As they approach Richard’s house, he starts to feel uneasy. When they arrive, the house is ransacked. Kahlan points out that the person that did it could still be inside. Richard sneaks around back to get the tooth that belongs to the keeper of the secret book. He grabs it through the window. He hears the chair squeak. He quickly grabs the tooth, puts the string around his neck, and leads Kahlan away from there. As they make their way towards Zedd’s, Richard realizes that the same person that killed his father could be the one that was in his house. Kahlan asks what he went in for, but he refuses to answer. He remembers that the books were torn apart and wonders if someone knows about the secret book. Suddenly, Kahlan takes Richard to the ground. She tells him not to move or else they are dead. She points to the danger and he sees a boar with glowing green eyes. They watch it charge and kill a rabbit and then extend its wings and fly away. Kahlan tells him it is a Garr that uses blood-flies to hunt, which had been biting them.

5. As he builds a fire, she tells him that it came from D’Hara. Richard is shocked to hear that and she explains that the other boundary (between D’Hara and the Midlands) is already down. Kahlan explains the history of the three lands. The D’Haran ruler, Panis Rahl, started swallowing up territories and took over all D’Hara. The Midlands join together to be free lands and fight off the D’Harans. Rahl turned to magic, the worst being the shadow people (which killed with just a touch). A great wizard joined the Midland’s cause and created horns that blew away the shadow people. They knew they couldn’t bet the the D’Harans, but needed to do something. The boundaries were created, the Westlands were set aside for those that wanted to live without magic. The boundaries were conjured by magic from the underworld. To walk through the boundary is entering the land of the dead. Kahlan was able to cross only with Magic. He asks her about going through the underworld and she is taken mentally back there. Richard brings her back and asks her to continue the story. She tells him how the great wizard defeated Panis Rahl, but not before he killed the wizards wife and daughter. The Council in the Midlands became corrupt and the great wizard left them, casting a wizard’s web to keep anyone from remembering who he is. Suddenly, people in the Midlands started talking about Panis Rahl’s son, Darken Rahl, and how he was bringing peace. The D’Harans came into the Midlands when the boundary failed and started killing those that didn’t agree with him. He banned magic and taken over much of the Midland. Five of six of the great wizard’s students saw the error of their ways and have sent Kahlan to ask him to make the appointment only he can make. If he says no, the wizards do not have the power to force him, but Kahlan does. Richard wants to know more, but decides not to press. Kahlan pulls out a night whisp named Char, which can only be seen at night. She explains that the whisp helped her through the boundary and will now die from being away from her own land too long. Char explains that Darken Rahl will continue to come after Richard and Kahlan until they are both dead, but can’t tell him why. Char speaks to Kahlan alone. She asks why Kahlan hasn’t told Richard what she is. Kahlan explains that she doesn’t want to loose his friendship, as she has never had anyone treat her that way. She promises to tell him before anyone else can. Char asks Kahlan to use her power by touch to let her die feeling love. Kahlan complies and there is the thunder without sound again.

6. The next morning, Kahlan makes an offering to their dead mothers for good fortune on their journey. Richard hands her a red apple and she thinks that he is trying to poison her (any red fruit is poison in the Midlands). Richard realizes that the fever from the thorn is getting worse and they make their way to Zedd's house. They find him out back, naked and watching the sky on his “cloud rock.” Richard helps him get dressed and points out that they have company. Zedd goes on about the cloud, which Richard guesses is from D’Hara. Zedd finally introduces himself to Kahlan and realizes what she is. Richard explains that she saved him multiple times. Zedd accepts her. Kahlan and Richard tell Zedd about their journey so far. Richard shows Zedd the vine. Zedd tells them that when the boxes of Orden are in play the snake vine will grow.

7. Richard wakes up some time later after the fever makes him pass out. He suddenly remembers everything, including the secret book, The Book of Counted Shadows, that his father had chosen him to keep. Richard swore to keep it secret until the keeper came back for it. Richard would memorize the book piece by piece until he memorized it all and it was burned. Zedd is out looking for the root he needs to cure Richard. Richard asks Kahlan not to hurt Zedd or ask for his help, no matter what, before falling asleep again. Zedd returns and makes the medicine. Together they administer the cure to Richard. Kahlan explains that she needs to find the great wizard to appoint a Seeker. Zedd explains that a seeker cannot be simply appointed, but a wizard just points out a true seeker and makes the title official. The Council members previous made the appointments, but it was out of greed for the post, rather than presenting an actual Seeker. He doesn’t believe that even a true Seeker would be able to defeat Darken Rahl alone. Kahlan explains that she plans to stand the Seeker that is found. He tells her not to claim Richard or ever to touch him with her power, and she agrees. He tells Kahlan to get some sleep and leaves the house. He runs into a Gar and threatens to kill him unless he goes back to D’Hara and kills the Quad hunting them on the way. The Gar agrees and leaves. Zedd continues on to a rock. He uses magic to bring forth apparitions of his parents. They talk him into doing his duty rather than giving into his grudges. They tell him that Darken Rahl only two of the three boxes of Orden and still doesn’t have the Book of Counted Shadows. Darken Rahl walks the underworld, which is how he was able to undo the boundary. They warn him not to go through the boundary. He asks them how to get to the Midlands, but they do not know.

8. When he wakes up again, feeling much better, Richard approaches Zedd and Kahlan. He tells Zedd that he already knows that he is the great wizard by what Kahlan has told him. Zedd is impressed with his power of deduction and goes to get the sword of the Seeker. Kahlan begs him not to name Richard as the Seeker, but Zedd explains that he doesn’t have a choice; anyone else would not be a true Seeker. the great wizard names Richard as the Seeker, and hands him the sword, which gives him a fierce fury for truth. but Richard doesn’t know what that means.

9. Zedd explains that Darken Rahl has started collecting the boxes or Orden. Once the boxes are put in play, that person has one year to open the first box. If they fail to open the box, or open the wrong box, the consequences are dire. One wrong box would kill the person that opens it. The other wrong box would kill everything living. If Rahl were to open the correct box, he would gain the power or Orden. Richard already knows all of this information because it was in the Book of Counted Shadows. He realizes that must be why Rahl wants to kill him. Zedd points out that Rahl only has two of the boxes and must be very confident for putting them in play before having all three. Kahlan tells Richard that Darken Rahl reads the future by using people’s entrails. He grabs the sword and becomes angry, vowing to kill Darken Rahl. Zedd calms him down, but is impressed that Richard is now able to call upon his anger, saying that he has passed the final test in order to be a true Seeker.

10. To make a point, Zedd temporarily names Kahlan as Seeker. Zedd tells Kahlan that one of two trees was planted by Darken Rahl to track him. He reminds her that Darken Rahl killed her sister and is trying to kill all of them. She cuts through the bigger of the trees. He renames Richard as Seeker and tells him to cut down the smaller tree. Zedd tells Richard to cut down the second tree. He is unable to because he believes that the tree is not evil. The sword will only cut down what the Seeker believes to be evil, so he’d better be sure before he strikes. Zedd continues to explains that there is a price to be paid for each kill with the Sword of Truth; His anger is a shield from the pain the sword will inflict with each use. Zedd then explains that Richard cannot use the Sword of Truth against Darken Rahl. Richard understands. They start to make preparations to leave for the Midlands. Richard thinks he has a plan to go through an opening between the two worlds; the one his dad used to bring the Book of Counted Shadows to Westland. A mob comes along, angry about Zedd using magic. Richard points out that Zedd has helped them, but the villagers refuse to listen. Zedd confuses them by pointing out how they have come to attack a powerful wizard with just make-shift weapons. They go to leave, but Zedd makes them think he took their genitals to teach them a lesson. The apologize, and the great wizard lets them leave. Richard realizes that Rahl is trying to lead them into a false sense of security and they leave quickly.

11. A pair of gars attack. One tackles Zedd and the other Richard. Kahlan helps Richard and together they are able to defeat it. Zedd’s house is on fire in the background as they hope that Zedd has not seen their battle with the gars. They make it to Chase’s house and he welcomes them in. They tell him what has happened and Richard asks him where they can pass through the boundary. Chase hesitates. Richard shows him his sword and Chase knows that Richard is the Seeker. He tells Richard that the Boundary Wardens real job is to make sure that the creatures in the boundary aren’t able to feed enough to come out and hurt the people in Westland. He and his wife, Emma, help them prepare to leave.

12. The next morning they take off on horses. Chase notices wolves eating and goes to make sure that they are safe. Zedd and Kahlan encourage Richard to move on rather than going back to help his friend. They come to a bridge, but Richard isn’t sure that it will be able to hold the weight of the horses. Zedd sends his horse across and they are able to go over the water. Once they get to the other side, Zedd destroys the bridge. They continue on. Richard thinks that he hears something and draws his sword. Just as he is about to strike, he realizes Chase has caught up with them. He explains that he has been keeping the things from inside the boundary from getting them. There are heart-hounds, created when the boundaries were erected. They are able to go in and out, but can’t usually stray too far. Kahlan tells them that they are all over the Midlands from the other boundary coming down. They are free and crazed with lack of purpose.

13. Richard takes the first watch over the group. Kahlan comes to talk to him before going to sleep. He realizes that he loves her and asks her if she has anyone. She says that she has obligations. Richard points out that she also has an obligation to lead her through the Midlands. Zedd comes to talk to him before his watch starts. He tells his friend how he feels about Kahlan. The wizard explains that Richard cannot be with her, but says she will have to tell him why. Richard asks him about Kahlan threatening him over the red apple. The wizard tells him that, like Kahlan, he will have to be prepared to kill someone if they threaten their cause. He explains that Panis Rahl made all of the red fruit poisonous to get to the people by killing their children. Zedd says he would need to study the spell to find out how to do it. Richard comes up with an idea to confuse the spell Darken Rahl has on the cloud that has been following him by making it attract other clouds. Zedd pulls out his wizard’s rock (the cloud rock). Richard goes on the rock and feels at one with everything. Zedd points out that Richard could make a great wizard, but Richard turns him down.

14. The next morning, Chase leads them. He shows him the damage the heart hounds can do by putting a long stick into the boundary. He takes Richard to the boundary. Richard sees his father calling to him, telling him to join him in the space of underworld. Chase holds him back and explains that he had to prepare Richard for what he would see and how easily he could stray into the underworld. Zedd predicts the boundary will last a few weeks. Richard explains that he doesn’t think it was really his father that he saw, but Darken Rahl’s disciples trying to lure them into the underworld. Suddenly, Dark appendages come out of nowhere. Chase and Zedd are knocked down. It grabs Kahlan and tries to drag her in. Richard slashes at the thing, even though Kahlan begs him not to because she thinks it is his sister. He grabs Kahlan and they get away and tells her to stay while he goes to get the others. He finds Zedd and the tentacle comes after him again. His rage explodes and cuts it off. Richard is able to get his friends. He loads them on their horses. Richard knows they have to get to the swamp Chase had talked about to escape the oncoming heart hounds.

15. Richard gets them to the swamp. Kahlan points out that the monster that attacked from the boundary couldn’t seem to see him. Richard wonders if it is because of the sword. He also realizes that when he killed the things from the boundary, he didn’t feel the weight of their deaths, which is supposed to be the price for using the sword. The next day, they travel further to town. They go to an inn and talk to the keeper, Bill. The crowd inside is rough and tries to indicate they want Kahlan. Richard starts to go for his sword, but Kahlan solves the issue by saying that Richard is his whore and she will contact them if she needs more. The proprietor appreciates that she stopped a fight that could destroy his business. Bill gives them a room and offers his son to help get Zedd and Chase inside through the back. The inn keeper has a new respect for them once he finds out Chase is with them. Richard tells him that he is the first councilor’s brother and that they are on an official mission of Westland. Before Bill leaves, Richard warns him that the boundary is failing.

16. Bill wakes them up the next morning because half a quad arrived at the inn. His customers had taken care of one and the other flees. He tells Bill that his brother will cover all of the charges. They make their way to the bone woman’s house. They meet AdieAdie and she tells them to bring their friends. She explains to them the strength of the tongue compared to the teeth (sword). Adie knew Kahlan’s mother and gave her a bone necklace to protect her unborn child. She uses a bone tool to wake Zedd and Chase and make them drink. Richard is so relieved that his friends have received help that he offers to make Adie spiced soup. He leaves the women to talk in their native language and chops wood for her. Adie explains that their friends will need several days to recover with constant watch. Richard determines that they can’t wait and risk Darken Rahl getting the last box or Orden.

17. Adie explains that the bones of the dead creatures that live in the boundary will protect them enough if they are careful. She tells them that she became overconfident and decided to take a nap in the pass one day when she had gone to far. When she woke up, a gripper was on her ankle and she had to cut off her foot to get it off. They also have to worry about going through the rock that will take them through the narrows. She gives Richard a night stone that will light their way when it is too dark. It will also help Zedd find them when he is well. Adie gives Kahlan a bone necklace like she gave her mother. Richard asks if he should have a bone as well, but Adie points out the tooth under his shirt that already hides him from the boundary creatures. They sleep that night and prepare to leave in the morning.Richard leaves orders for Chase to stand guard against Darken Rahl, no matter what his brother says.

18. Richard and Kahlan take off down the path through the pass. He starts thinking about how to stop Darken Rahl from finding the last box or using them. He recites the Book of Counted Shadows to himself to find out what he can do, but it isn’t as useful as he’d hoped. As it gets dark, shadows start to surround them. Richard wonders if they are the shadow people Panis Rahl used in the last war. They carefully make their way, making sure not to touch the still shadows incase they have the deadly touch. as they reach the narrows, they are surrounded by grippers on the rocks around them. Richard pulls Kahlan through the opening and they go on.

19. Meanwhile, Darken Rahl is in the tomb of his father. His guard, Demmin Nass, brings him a boy meant to be a sacrifice. Rahl points out that Devon has ruined his spirit guide before. When he tried to blame it on someone else, he submitted to the mother confessor, Kahlan, to prove his innocence. Demmin changes the subject and asks what to do about Queen Melina’s demands. Rahl tells him to give in to all of her demands for the box and he will deal with her himself if she gives him any issues. As he is about to leave the tomb, a rose petal falls. Rahl sticks it to one of the guards forehead, wondering why they are disrespecting his requests to keep his father’s tomb neat. Darken Rahl knows that Kahlan has found the Great Wizard who has named a seeker. He thinks that Kahlan must have used her power to force him. Rather than sending another Quad, Rahl plans to make Kahlan his to make an heir. Rahl approaches the boy Demmin brought him, Carl, now buried in sand in a temple-like setting. The boy says that he want to go home. Darken Rahl calms him down by saying he isn’t going to hurt him. He needs the boy for a ceremony because he is said to be brave, strong, and smart. He repeats that he wants to go home, and Rahl relates to him by telling him about his parents and telling him he needs Carl to help their people. When Rahl goes to leave, Carl asks him to stay the night with him.

20. Richard and Kahlan make their ways into the Narrows. Kahlan leads the way with Richard holding her hand and walking backwards to guard their backs. He thinks about pulling out the sword out, but he has to much fear and the righteous rage of the seeker goes away. Suddenly, the shadows start whispering to him. He starts to feel comforted by them and wants to go to them and their promises of living how it used to be. He wants to take Kahlan with him, but he can’t find her. He suddenly realizes what is happening, but Kahlan is no where to be seen. He pulls out the sword and the rage takes over. He cuts apart the shadows as they come at him. The seem to keep coming. He gets away and makes it back onto the path. Richard’s father appears and tells him that Richard can see Kahlan if he comes with him. Richard stabs the thing that looks like his father. He realizes that he is a tool of death and he must kill Darken Rahl. Carl wakes up to find Darken Rahl still with him. He talks to the boy, convincing him that his parents don’t love him. He needs to have the boys completely loyalty to travel the underworld. Demmin tells Rahl that the tracer cloud over Richard is hidden. Rahl explains that he can always find Richard because he wears the tooth of the monster that originally guarded the Book of Counted Shadows. Demmin leaves to visit the queen and Rahl tells him to stop by to see the dragon on his way.

21. Richard decides that with Kahlan alone, she would have no need to continue on to the Midlands. He decides to go back and look for her. In the Narrows, he finds her tracks going back the way they had come. He pulls out the Sword of Truth and uses the strength of rage to go after her. He sees Kahlan and the last man from the Quad. He rushes at the man and kills him with the sword. Suddenly, he has to pay the price of the sword. He feels the incredible guilt and Kahlan comforts him. She apologizes that he had to kill a man because of her. Zedd had warned Kahlan that the magic of the sword would be the worst with his first use. They move as quickly as possible back through the narrows and make it to the Wilds. They are finally in the Midlands and able to rest. He explains that they need to find someone with magic that can help them find the box. Kahlan suggests they see the mud people, who are afraid of her. She warns him that he will have to do what she tells him to get them to help them.

22. Zedd wakes up earlier than Adie had expected. She tells him about helping Richard and Kahlan. He checks the night stone and is able to tell that they made it to the Midlands. Zedd will not be joining them right away because he has other things to attend to. Adie asks him to stay the night and he obliges. Richard and Kahlan arrive at the village of the mud people. Kahlan starts to talk to one, Savidlin, and he slaps her. She slaps him back and Richard starts to pull out his sword. Kahlan explains that is how they show respect. The man punches Richard and he punches back hard, pushing the mud person back. They welcome the visitors and take them into the village

23. Once they reach the village of the mud people, Richard and Kahlan are brought before the elders. Light slaps are given to show respect and they begin to talk. The elders think that Richard is a spirit man that brought them the rain. Kahlan suggests they use deception to get them to call a gathering to find the box. Richard refuses to lie to them and asks that they consider his request, judging him while he stays with them. After everyone leaves, Richard notices that the Bird Man is still watching them. Realizing that this is where the real authority lies, he goes to talk to him. The Bird Man tells him that if he can convince the mud people to accept him as one of them, then they will call a gathering for him. Richard asks Kahlan if they have any other options. There are some alternatives available, but Richard thinks it over and decides to show the mud people how to make roofs that don’t leak (as theirs are currently made of grass). The Bird Man says he is not sure how the people will respond, but he is free to try.

24. Rahl has spent days taking care of Carl, who has become completely loyal. He thinks about the girl that he killed the night before to keep his thoughts calm. When Carl insists that he stay with Rahl to protect him, Rahl says that they will be able to perform the ceremony that night, after the feeding. Rahl retrieves a crucible and chants. He feeds the molten lead to Carl through his feeding tube. He sends the boys spirit to the underworld and instructs Demmin to put the body on the alter. He continues to chant as he touches the scars left on his genitals from the wizard’s fire that killed his father. He removes the heart, brain and testicles, mashing them into a paste from the boy and draws runes on the sand where Carl had been. He eats the mixture and calls to the boy, who rises as a shinga (underworld beast). The shinga comes and takes Rahl to the underworld.

25. As Richard shows the mud people how to build clay tile roofs, Kahlan is mostly left alone because most people in the Midlands are afraid of her. She starts thinking about when her mother died and her best friend’s mother took her in. Dennee and Kahlan grew up like sister, but Kahlan was always stronger and looking out for her. While returning from a trip that Kahlan had volunteered to take (knowing Dennee was not fond of confessions), she finds her sister dying in the road. She promises Dennee that she will kill Darken Rahl. When the roof on the town prayer house is complete, everyone gathers. The elders are not impressed and order it taken down and restored to how their ancestors had built it, refusing to be influenced by outsiders. Richard offers them his sword so that they can give their people the favor of quick deaths. They refuse and refuse to yield on their decision. Richard and Kahlan go to pack their things and they find that the night stone is missing. They think Savidlin's son, Siddin, has it.

26. They race to find Siddin and Richard makes it to him. The child just got the night stone out of the pouch and the shadow people start to surround him. The mud people start shooting arrows at the shadows. Kahlan has to instruct the Bird Man to keep them from attacking, informing them that touching the shadows would kill them. One of the elders demands that they kill Kahlan for disrespecting their ancestors’ spirits. He attacks her and she goes to use her power on her. She hesitates, not wanting Richard to see what she can do, and gets cut. She follows through the second time and shoves the man into the ring of Shadows around Richard and Siddin. She uses the disruption to get to them. She has to rip the stone from Siddin's hand and puts it back in the pouch. The shadows start to slowly drift back to the underworld. Siddin's mother, Weselan, is very appreciative and hugs and kisses Kahlan. Savidlin is appointed an elder and demands that they make Richard and Kahlan mud people. The elders offer their lives to Richard for being foolish, but he returns their lives and honor to them when the sword won’t cut them. Richard and Kahlan are made mud people and the Bird Man points out that she will have to make sure that Richard follows their way of life. The Bird Man sends Kahlan to a healer, Nissel, to close up her cut. She warns the healer that she cannot be made drowsy or else she could accidentally unleash her power. Once they are both cleaned up, Kahlan and Richard meet up again.

27. That night, there is a celebration for the gathering that will take place the next night. There are several girls following Richard around and he asks Kahlan why. She tells them that he will have to pick one and impregnate her. He seems delighted by the idea and Kahlan is furious. He chooses the Bird Man’s niece and asks Kahlan to get him an apple from his bag. She does and he starts eating it. Everyone stares at him in surprise as he eats the red fruit. He explains that everyone in the Westlands eats them, but there is a possibility that they could make his seed poisonous to Midlanders. The Bird Man agrees to let him skip the tradition. Richard retires for the night and Kahlan feels awful about not telling him what was expected of him. After talking to the Bird Man (who gives her a bird whistle for Richard), she goes to find Richard and he forgives her. Suddenly, she starts to act on her feelings for him. Kahlan starts to think it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if she took him until he says that she has to tell him what she is before they can go any further. Kahlan stops and is horrified at what she almost did. She asks him to hold her.

28. Richard and Kahlan wake up and get dressed. The Bird Man spends the day trying to teach Richard how to use the whistle, but he is not good at it. When it is time to start the gathering, the Bird Man tries to explain that women are not allowed because they have to meet the ancestor spirits as they are. Kahlan explains to Richard that the spirits will kill anyone that they don’t believe have the right intensions. She is worried that if she isn’t there to translate, Richard will be killed. She explains what must happen for her to go with him and he agrees. They enter the spirit house one by one and strip and are painted with mud. A basket of frogs are passed around to be rubbed on the chest. Kahlan is worried that she could accidentally use her power in the altered state the frogs will cause, but the Bird Man convinces her that she will be killed if she doesn’t do it. When the spirits arrive, Kahlan worries because it looks like Richard is being hurt. They ask him a series of questions before telling him the name of a witch woman that knows who has the last box. The spirits tell them that Darken Rahl is there and killing people, but if Richard goes out to face him, he will die and fail. When the gathering ends and they go out into the village, one man comes to blame Richard for what has happened. Many people were killed and they were warned not to use fire anymore. Richard says that they can blame him if it helps, but he will not stop until either he or Darken Rahl is dead. Savidlin volunteers to escort them to the edge of their lands

29. Princess Violet abuses Rachel and bosses her around. Rachel does her hair and helps her put on jewelry. When the princess grabs a box she’s not supposed to touch, Rachel freaks out (even though magic will not let it leave the room). Princess Violet gives Rachel the key to the room and tells her to clean up. She saves putting the queen’s box away for last. As she is putting it back, she notices that someone is in the room with her. She meets Wizard Giller, who is nice to her. He heals her cheeks where the princess has slapped her. He gives her a trouble-doll and says that he will hide it for her until she is sent outside to sleep by the princess. Rachel makes her way down to the kitchen. She waits for the cooks to stop arguing, but they end up spilling the crock. After they clean it up, she tells them that the princess sent her to scold them. They give her some meat and pie before sending her on with the promise not to tell anyone that it happened. That night at dinner, a fool is brought in for the royals’ entertainment. The queen claims that he is a traitor to the common good. He argues that they are taking all of his food. They are not allowed to use fire and so his family is also freezing. The queen decides to let her daughter decide his fate. Princess Violet orders that the man is beheaded. After everyone else has left, Rachel tells the princess that she was mean to have the man killed. She sends Rachel out of the castle for the night. Rachel acts sad, makes her way through the garden to get the hidden doll, and leaves the castle for her hiding place. Zedd finds D’Haran guards and looks out on the sleeping city. There are troops everywhere. He knows that Darken Rahl had been there and had taken something.

30. After Kahlan explains the different types of dragons in the Midlands, they are approached by Old John. He says that he comes from the old wizard that needs help. After traveling for a while, Richard is winded. The man seems to be going strong and wonders if something is wrong with him. Richard asks him for Zedd’s last name, but Old John cannot answer. It changes into a Kalthrap and attacks. A smaller thing attacks and they roll away, the Kalthrap going into the woods alone. Richard threatens the smaller thing until it explains that he and his mistress, Shota, were following them. Shota has Kahlan. Richard decides to take the thing, Samuel, to go after Shota. He takes him to Agaden Reach. Kahlan is there and there are snakes covering her. Richard promises to save her, but Kahlan tells him that if she even moves, she would be dead. She tries to convince him to leave her and save himself. Richard still needs to find out about the box, so he cannot leave. Rachel tells her doll all of her worries. When she starts to wonder what to do, the doll tells her to help Giller.

31. There is a voice and Richard sees his mother. She embraces him and he wonders if it really is her. Suddenly, Zedd is behind him telling Richard to get away from her. Richard realizes the woman is Shota. Zedd starts to fight the witch woman, but Richard tries to stop him because she knows where the box is. Shota freezes Zedd. She offers Richard a wish for coming to her rescue (even though it is not necessary). Richard wishes for Shota to let Kahlan go without hurting or killing her after the witch woman agrees that he doesn’t have to use the wish to get an answer to his question answered. She explains that Zedd was not real, but an illusion. Samuel is the last seeker, who Zedd took the sword from. Richard has some insight to his future after using the magic. She warns him that Zedd will actually use the wizard’s fire against him someday. She also tells Richard that the sword cannot protect him against Kahlan’s magic, which will happen before Rahl opens the boxes. Kahlan begs for death. Shota cannot provide it because it would be against Richard’s wish. Kahlan tries to kill herself, but Richard stops her. Shota tells him that Queen Melina has the last box. Before she leaves, the witch woman warns him never to come back to her.

32. Rachel waits for Giller to approach her as the doll, Sarah, told her to. He tells her that they will runaway together soon, but he has a few preparations to make first. The queen approaches and she hides behind his robes so that no one is suspicious. The queen mentions that Darken Rahl is coming the next day and heads off with her dog. The wizard seems worried. He tells her that they will have to run away carefully before the next day or they will both be killed. Giller tells her to act normal and to get a big loaf of bread from the kitchen and to meet him in the jewel room. On her way, Rachel runs into Princess Violet. Rachel has to talk her into letting her scold the cooks. Princess Violet decides to go to the jewel room, and Rachel tries to convince her not to, but is unsuccessful. Rachel decides to stick to the wizard’s plan. Richard and Kahlan come across a pack of gars. Kahlan has been extremely withdrawn and is being careless enough to get herself killed. Richard has to stop her several times. Rachel makes it to the Jewel room with the loaf of bread and waits for Giller. He brings in a fake copy of the box and puts the real one in Rachel’s hollowed out loaf of bread. He explains that Darken Rahl is evil and wants the box. He needs her to take the box out of the castle and hide. Richard finally gives up on Kahlan and gives her permission to go kill herself. He explains that he will not forgive her. He thinks that if Kahlan and Zedd are going to fight against him, maybe he will be the one to betray them. Kahlan refuses to be the one to destroy Richard, so she goes, wishing he wouldn’t remember her like that and walks away.

33. Darken Rahl comes to the castle early. Queen Melina is surprised but is ready to make their treaty and give him the box. She sends Giller for it. When he hands it over, Rahl gives it to one of his men and he smashes it. They know it was a fake. Giller tries to tell them it must have been a forgery from the beginning, but Rahl is not convinced and they take him away. Rachel sneaks around to get the loaf of bread and get out of the castle. She just makes it out when she realizes that she forgot her doll. She goes back and tells the guards that she forgot something. She overhears two people talking about how the D'Harans are going to search the entire castle. Rachel hurries to the princess room and opens up her sleeping box. Her doll, Sarah, is not there. Princess Violet reveals that she found the doll and threatens to through it in the fire. Rachel pulls out the fire stick Giller gave her and starts setting small fires. she holds the stick up to the princess and threatens to burn her. Violet gives her the doll, and Rachel makes her get in the sleeping box. Rachel hurries back out with some food, the loaf of bread (with the box inside), and her doll. A D’Haran guard tries to stop her from leaving, but the Queens guard convince him that she is harmless after they search her. She is let out and starts running away towards the west. Sarah tells Rachel to hide like Giller told her and that he loves her. Sparks and fire ignite a distance away towards the castle. The doll doesn’t talk anymore.

34. Richard wakes up in the morning and finds that Kahlan has been watching over him all night. She is ready to tell him her secret. She is the Mother Confessor, a title given due to her significant amount of power. She must constantly contain the magic or else it would spill into whoever she touches. The power would find even the smallest spark of love and use it to make the person completely devoted to her. The confessed is left a shell of their former self and practically a slave to the confessor. It takes a while for the power to return. Depending on the confessor, it could be up to days. Kahlan’s power returns within a few hours. She explains that most are afraid of her because she is past the age where she should have taken a mate. People are afraid that a confessor will take them or someone they love. Richard is completely destroyed, but points out that she keeps mentioning that confessors are women. She tells him that male confessors don’t have to wait for their power to return. If a boy is born, the father is forced to kill the child. Richard decides that after he defeats Rahl, he will go home.

35. Back on their way, Richard and Kahlan stop in Horner’s Mill, which is mostly destroyed. Kahlan goes to see about getting horses, but gets stories of what happened instead. The D'Haran People’s Peace Army came in and started praising Darken Rahl. Lumber orders started coming in and the town prospered. People came in claiming to be Westlanders and reeked havoc, saying they will kill anyone who doesn’t oppose Darken Rahl. the Westlanders came back to execute any men that did not flee the town. The woman and little girls were raped. Rachel’s hiding space is invaded by Richard and Kahlan. As soon as she sees Kahlan’s long hair, she is afraid of her (only woman of stature have long hair). When she overhears Kahlan say she wants to kill Giller, Rachel’s mind is made up. However, she is fond of Richard, who offers to share their fish and cut her hair straight. Rachel yells at Kahlan when she starts to reach for the loaf of bread. Kahlan apologizes and wraps herself and the girl in a blanket. Richard wakes Kahlan up in the middle of the night. Rachel waits until Richard is asleep before she takes off.

36. The next morning, they wake up to find Rachel gone. They don’t have time to go after her and they continue on to Tamarang, where Queen Melina lives. Zedd comes to join them. Richard threaten him at first, wanting to make sure it is him. As they catch up on events of their separation, Zedd points out that the wizard’s first rule is that people are stupid. They will believe what they want. Zedd is the keeper of the Book of Counted Shadows, but he never opened it because he didn’t want the information to spread. He kept it in his wizard’s keep, but it was stolen. He wants to destroy the book. Richard knows that he is the book and Kahlan is the only way to verify that. He decides not to tell Zedd the truth to spare Kahlan. Richard takes the first watch when they go to sleep. He attaches the tooth he wears around his neck to a log and tosses it into the woods. When Zedd comes to relieve him in the night, and Richard finally lets out his feelings for Kahlan and how they cannot be together. He asks about Samuel and the fate that lies ahead for him. Zedd tells him that it will not happen to the seeker that can turn the sword white. He promises to help Richard figure out how to do it once they defeat Darken Rahl. When Kahlan goes to take over watch for Zedd, she asks him if there is anyway to release her from being a confessor. The only way is death. She asks him to tell her the prophecy about her, but he refuses.

37. When Richard wakes up, he uses Zedd’s own rule against him to figure out that Kahlan told him what Shota said. Zedd shows Richard how they all use additive magic, but cannot use magic to destroy. He can grow a beard, but he has to shave it off when he wants to get rid of it. All magic from that world is additive, but magic from the underworld is subtractive magic. While they continue to travel, they give him all the details of what happened (except what happened between them at the spirit house). Rachel keeps going, she sees something fly by in the sky. She settles down for the night and then is bit by flies. She tries to get away from them and runs into a gar.

38. Richard and Kahlan argue over the strategy they should use to get the box from Queen Melina. A wolf arrives and knocks Richard over to save him from a heart-hound. Kahlan introduces them to Brophy, who has explained that Richard has been leaving food for him since he started following them. As a human, the wolf was accused of killing children and asked for a confession to prove his innocence. Giller turned him into a wolf to dull the magic and allow him to live a relatively normal life.

39. Tamarang is overflowing with people seeking protection. Kahlan arrives at the door with Zedd and Richard on either side of her. The guards are reluctant to let her in, but denying a confessor entrance would admit guilt. They are brought before the queen, who introduces her daughter Violet. When the princess insults Kahlan, Richard takes out his sword and threatens to cut out her tongue. Kahlan tells Queen Melina that she is going to inspect her dungeon. She finds all the innocent men in a cell. She asks if any of them would be willing to confess. When they all volunteer, she points out that she has only had three people ask for it in her life. She frees them all without using her touch. In the cell across the way, they find AS. She takes him and gives him to Zedd. They return to the queen and tell her that if she comes back to find the same situation, she will remove the queen from power. She asks to see Giller. The queen tries to make excuses, but eventually gives in. They are taken upstairs to find Giller’s body hung. He used his life fire to save someone (Rachel). They give the queen their leave and take off, pretending to be happy that Giller is dead. They all feel defeated because they don’t know what to do next.

40. Chase approaches them with four horses and Rachel. He saved the little girl from a gar and was able to get her shoes and a cloak. Richard notices the bread is still with her. Rachel seems to know Siddin. Chase takes them back to their camp from the previous night where he has a wild boar roasting. On the way back, Chase explains that he went to Michael, Richard’s brother, and he commanded that his men come to help them. Brophy comes around and knows Rachel. The wolf tells her that Kahlan isn’t scary like she thinks. Kahlan explains why she thought Giller was bad. When Richard asks, Rachel gives up her loaf of bread and he reveals the box. Chase asks Rachel to join his family and she agrees. As they discuss what to do next, Zedd points out that Richard has a spell over him that the queen’s artist had put on him. He intends to give them the box and go back to have the spell taken off. Kahlan kisses him before he leaves. Richard finds the cave, but it is too dark to see all the drawings that represent the spells. He uses the night stone to find the one of him. He puts the night stone away and realizes the drawing is too big to erase the entire thing. The artist, James, appears and brings a torch with him. Richard starts altering the drawing. James starts a new one to stop him, but dies in the process. Richard leaves the cave and is surrounded by a woman and a horde of men. He goes to fight them and the woman takes his power. Denna, a Mord-Sith, causes him extreme pain and he is defeated. Darken Rahl sent her after him. She uses her agiel against him, but Richard still resists her.

41. Richard wakes up in an unfamiliar place with all of his belongings. Denna has been sent by Darken Rahl to train him through pain. Rahl wants to ask Richard a question and Denna is going to make sure that he answers. She says that one of his friends betrayed him to Rahl. Richard realizes that Rahl wants the Book of Counted Shadows. He will try to read Richard’s entrails to find it and will then realize that it is only in Richard’s head. He locks away part of himself that includes his dignity. He can only make the pain stop by thinking of something pleasant about Denna. She chains Richard in the wall to start training him with the agiel, which causes pain with even the slightest touch. She leaves him like that overnight, warning him not to sleep because if he falls off of the peg that holds him up, he will spend the entire night in pain. The next morning, Denna cleans him up so they can go to dinner with the queen. Princess Violet is allowed to use Denna’s agiel on Richard. She starts telling him what she is going to do when Kahlan returns and sticks her tongue out at him. Richard punches her in the jaw and her teeth sever her tongue. The guards take Violet away. Denna puts the agiel in her own mouth and kisses Richard to bond them. She has decided to take him as a mate. She explains that her training began when she was 12 and didn’t end until she was punished for 2 years for killing her master. Richard asks her to help him stop Darken Rahl and says he will stay with her willingly if she does. She commences her torture.

42. When Denna prepares to leave with Richard, the queen confronts her and demands the seeker’s life. Denna uses her agiel on the queen, who has a heart attack and dies. She allows Richard to sleep in the carriage on the way to D’Hara were the Mord-Sith are trained. She introduces him to Constance, who helps Denna with his training. One night, Denna explains that since her agiel was used to break her, it hurts her whenever she uses it. Richard surprises her by asking Constance to finish his training. She beats him bloody before asking why. He explains that he doesn’t want to cause her any pain. She starts being nicer to him. When Constance asks to help her, she refuses and says that she is going to take him that night. She allows him to sleep in the bed, saying that she needs the floor for a sore back. The next morning, she takes him for a walk around the huge compound. He enjoys the trees and can’t seem to remember why. Denna explains that he will forget things from before her training. The training after that isn’t nearly as rough. One evening, Darken Rahl summons Denna and she leaves Richard with Constance. When Constance is done with him (keeping to what Denna told her), she tells Richard to wait for Denna. She returns much later and asks him to help her bathe. She is covered in welts from Darken Rahl for being to easy on the seeker. She tells him that Rahl will see him the next day. Richard uses the supplies in his pack to make a healing cream for her. She tells him that to become a Mord-Sith, a caring girl is chosen and then broken how she did to Richard. Then her trainer breaks her mother and eventually kills her. Lastly, the girl has to break her father and kill him. Rahl personally trained her on the last breaking. Richard is horrified that Denna had to go through that. She asks to be with him without the agiel.

43. The next morning, Constance makes some comments about Denna that Richard doesn’t like. He threatens to kill her. Denna takes him in front of Darken Rahl to answer his questions. Richard feels a power in him that enables him to kill the guards. When Rahl asks about the Book of Counted Shadows, Richard tells him that he burned it and the knowledge is only in his head. He recites the first page, which mentions that a confessor must use her power to know if the book is real. Richard is suddenly reminded of Kahlan and the part of him that was locked away breaks free. Rahl asks him how he partitioned his mind, but Richard does not know. Rahl sends Denna away, explaining that it is not her fault that he was able to partition his mind. He tells Richard that George Cypher was not his father, but he doesn’t know who it really was. There is a wizard’s web over him preventing him from telling. Rahl explains that he has other ways of finding out how the boxes work and has already taken the cover off of one. Richard proves that he does have the book memorized by taking the cover off of the second. Rahl explains that Kahlan and the wizard are on their way with the box. Richard doesn’t believe him. Rahl lets him go, knowing that Richard will come back when it is time to open the first box because he’ll want to save Kahlan. He warns Richard that once he leaves the room, Denna will have power over him again. Richard must kill her to free it. Rahl casts a wizard’s web on him to make him look like his friend’s greatest enemy. He goes to devotion to clear his mind and figures out how to use a white rage. When he returns to Denna, she is waiting to be killed. Rahl told her that if Richard is the seeker that can turn the sword white, he will be the one to kill her. She requests that he take her agiel and wear it around his neck. He kisses her and kills her with the sword.

44. Constance finds Richard and tries to get him to use his sword against her. Richard cannot forgive her completely to be able to turn the sword white and kill her, so he uses Denna’s agiel on Constance. He finds his way out of the castle and wonders where to go. The guard offers him a horse and tells him how far away his friends are. Richard doesn’t know how much he can do if he must return in a week. The guard warns him about Rahl’s red dragon that is on the way. Richard takes off thinking about the dragon. After riding a long time, he finds her and she eats his horse. The dragon, Scarlet, plans to eat him, but he distracts her. He offers to get her egg back from Rahl if she will help him. Richard thinks of a plan to get the egg away from the dozen or so gars that are protecting it. Zedd tries to find the night stone and starts being pulled to the underworld. He asks Kahlan to touch him to break its hold on him. Zedd is unaffected by her touch, but it serves as a beacon to help him out of the underworld. He senses that the night stone was there, destroyed by Rahl, but couldn’t tell if Richard was.

45. Richard and Scarlet land by a cave a little away from the gars guarding the egg. Scarlet lights a torch for him and he goes into the cave. He finds a small hole with air coming through. He starts making his way through and gets stuck. He has to calm himself by chanting his devotions that he learned at the D’Haran palace. Something crawls up his leg and bites him. He forces himself through the opening and is bloody from the bite and squeezing through the opening. He rips off the blood soaked part of his pants and throws it to the blood-flies using a rock. He starts maiming the gars to add to the confusion. Once he has the egg, Scarlet comes and carries him in her claw. She flies them away to a hidden place that Rahl will not be able to find. Richard tells her what happened. She admits that she came after him because she thought he was going to run away. She heats up a rock to keep her egg warm and they are ready to start looking for his friends.

46. They don’t have any luck finding Richard’s friends. Scarlet brings back a deer. The next day, he sees them on a trail. Zedd instantly uses his wizard’s fire on Richard, thinking that he is Darken Rahl from the web put on him. Richard tries to talk to them, but they only hear him speaking high D’Haran. Eventually, he gives up and leaves to find his brother. Scarlet drops him off ahead of the army and leaves Richard for the night. Michael and fifty of his personal guards ride ahead. Richard has to chase after them and sneaks around to find Michael and give him the salute he used to when they were children. When he finds Michael, he greets him as his little brother. Richard knows that he is the one that betrayed him. He asks for the box and Michael says that Zedd has it. Richard cannot kill his brother, so he leaves. Michael tries to have his guards stop him, but Richard grabs a horse and takes off.

47. Zedd wakes up the next morning and can’t help thinking about how strangely Darken Rahl had acted the previous day. He is extremely worried that he saw Rahl with the sword of truth and even more so that he turned it white. The prophecy says that only the one who turns the sword white can close the veil to the underworld. Demmin Nass arrives with his men to take Kahlan. Zedd is frozen in place. Kahlan is able to touch one of them. Two of them hold her down while another starts to rape her. Chase rushes him and knocks him down, but Demmin knocks him out. Brophy comes to attack Demmin, but the man pulls a knife out and kills the wolf. Kahlan goads Demmin into doing whatever he can to her and what has happened to Richard. Kahlan starts to scream and it combines her power of love with its counterpart from the underworld. Darkness is everywhere until Kahlan gets up and is surrounded by blue light. She frees Zedd, who then frees Chase. Zedd explains the Con Dar, the blood rage, is something that only the strongest Confessors can do, but must be taught by the mother. Kahlan should not be able to do it. She is going to try to kill Darken Rahl even if it is futile. She tells the man she touched to die and his does. She uses her power on Demmin. Kahlan cuts off his testicles and makes him eat them. She asks if what he told her about Richard is true. He says that it is and adds that Denna took him as her mate and probably wouldn’t have survived that long, but he did not see him die. Kahlan ask for poisonous berries and something to crush them with. Chase buries Brophy while Kahlan applies the berry paste to her face. She pulls out her confessor’s dress and puts it on before taking off. Chase wants to go with them to help Richard, even after Zedd explains what a Mord-Sith is. Since Chase doesn’t have any magic, he doesn’t have anything to worry about. Zedd has protection against them, and Kahlan’s touch is deadly to the Mord-Sith. They catch up with Kahlan and follow her.

48. Richard rides, but cannot find his friends. He sleeps under a rock for the night. When he wakes up, he realizes that he is farther from the People’s Palace than he thought. He goes to get on his horse when heart-hounds start attacking. Scarlet comes to rescue him and takes him to the People’s Palace. Richard says goodbye to the dragon and then is welcomed back into the palace. He goes to devotion to avoid trouble. Rather than chanting about Darken Rahl, he changes the words to be about Kahlan. He knows what to do and gets up to leave. When two Mord-Sith try to stop them, he explains who he is and how he killed Denna. They let him pass and he makes his way to Darken Rahl’s garden. Zedd and Chase follow Kahlan into the People’s palace. The Mord-Sith run from Kahlan as she approaches. Zedd directs her where to go. The entire palace is a spell constructed to protect Rahl with the Garden of Life in the center. He can also feel where the boxes of Orden are since two are uncovered. But he worries because he senses them three times as strong as before.

49. Zedd and Chase follow Kahlan into the garden to find Darken Rahl already there. He seems afraid of the Mother Confessor and pulls out his sword. He tries to talk to her, but she can’t understand him. Zedd realizes that he is actually Richard too late; Kahlan has already used her touch on him. The real Darken Rahl appears, blocking the others from getting to him. The Con Dar fades from Kahlan as she realizes what she has done. Rahl promises that he will not hurt Kahlan if he recites the book. Michael holds back Kahlan with a knife and won’t let her answer. Richard speaks the book out loud. Rahl does as the book instructs him to until the very end. The last part tells him to open the box with two shadows. Rahl says that the information he got from another source said that was the box that would kill him and threatens to kill Kahlan. Richard screams that he is telling the truth. Rahl believes him and opens the box. The power of Orden sweeps over him. Zedd feels completely defeated, until things start to change. Rahl has opened the box that will kill him. Richard explains that he wasn’t really touched by Kahlan’s power. Rahl had already taught him how to use the other side of the magic. Richard left out the last step of choosing which box to open. He goes after Kahlan. Zedd stays with Rahl, who asks if Richard is the wizard’s son. Zedd explains that RIchard is is grandson. When Rahl raped his daughter, Richard was born. An explosion engulfs Rahl in the black pit as he swears it isn’t over. Zedd removes the webs and the people know that Richard is the new leader of the Rahl house. He will eventually have to tell him that Darken Rahl is his father. Richard Finds Kahlan ready to kill herself. He stops her and explains that her power didn’t work on her because he already loved her completely. There was nothing for the power to distort. Zedd knew the whole time, but wasn’t able to tell them because it could spark doubt. He warns them not to tell anyone. Richard asks if it is over with Darken Rahl. Zedd says that he is dead. Michael is furious with Richard; he thinks that Darken Rahl was going to end people’s suffering. Richard pulls out the sword of truth to execute Michael, but cannot make it turn white because he can’t forgive what his brother has done to others. He tells Chase to execute him. When Richard sees his brother’s head on a pike, he orders it taken down. The army’s and guard’s leaders swear loyalty to him. Richard starts giving out orders to help people. He wants all the agiels destroyed and the Mord-Sith set free and rehabilitated into society. Scarlet comes along to tell Richard that her egg hatched. She wants him to come see the baby dragon. Richard asks for her to take Siddin back to his parents afterwards. She agrees. Zedd plans to return to Aydindril and tells Richard to come see him when he is ready. The master of the Panis Rahl’s crypt comes and tells him there is trouble with the walls melting. Zedd gives him instructions on how to seal the tomb shut to prevent the palace from melting. He asks for lunch before he plans to go and take Adie back to Aydindril with him to read about the underworld.

Percy dreams about Grover being chased by a monster. The satyr says he has to warn them and then Percy wakes up, seeing a shadow outside his window. He tells his mom about the dream. She offers to take Percy to a skateboard shop after his last day of school, but he asks about packing for camp. She says she got a letter from Chiron telling them to post pone Percy’s arrival because it isn’t safe. She promises to explain later after school.

Tyson (a huge, homeless crybaby) is Percy’s only friend at his new school. When the school took him in off the streets as a project, Percy befriended him to protect him. During gym class, the school bully, Sloan, has large friends visiting. They start playing dodgeball, but most of Percy’s team runs away. The six visitors grow into monsters and start throwing huge balls of fire. Tyson seems to be able to handle them and kills all but the leader. Percy looks through the ruins of the locker room to find his sword, Riptide, but Annabeth ends up killing the leader from behind. They flee the scene as adults start to blame Percy.

Annabeth is very unfriendly towards Tyson and Percy can’t understand why. She says they better bring him along and calls a special cab. Three old ladies that share an eye and a tooth drive them. One mentions that Percy is seeking a location, but he doesn’t know what they are talking about. He ends up with their eye after they fight over it. He demands they explain. They give him four numbers (30, 31, 75, 12) and he gives it back. They can’t explain anymore and Annabeth points out their fellow campers are already in battle.

The campers are fighting off two large, bronze bulls inside the camp’s boundary. Percy immediately runs to help. While dodging one, he hurts his leg. He can’t move well enough to get out of the way of the second bull. Annabeth invites Tyson into camp and he steps between Percy and the bull. The beast spits fire at Tyson, but he is unharmed and beats the machine to scrap. Clarisse has taken out the second one. Annabeth tells Percy that Tyson is an orphaned Cyclops. Clarisse comes to yell at them for ruining her attack. She tells them to help get the injured campers. As they help, they notice that things have changed because Thalia’s tree was poisoned.

Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson walk through the camp that has a completely different feel. They find Chiron packing his saddle bags. The gods don’t think he is fit to run the camp and that he possibly was the one to poison the tree. He tells Percy not to do anything and takes off. At dinner, they meet Tantalus (cursed so that he cannot eat or drink anything) who already has a grudge against Percy. He warns him not to create trouble before sending him to his lonely table. Tantalus announces that they are bringing back chariot races (which have killed demigods in the past). Clarisse points out that the reward (no chores) could be dangerous if her cabin is not on guard duty. Tantalus is not concerned and moves on to putting Tyson in a cabin. Poseidon claims him.

Not knowing what else to do, Percy and Annabeth start working on their chariot. It isn’t long before they have a fight. Percy learns how to ride a pegasus. He is mad at Poseidon for comparing him to Tyson. At night, Grover talks to him through an empathy link to tell him he is trapped by the cyclops, Polyphemus, who currently thinks Grover is his bride. The satyr tells Percy to go to the Sea of Monsters, but warns him that if he is killed, it could kill Percy as well. Percy tells Annabeth about Grover before the race, but she thinks he is trying to distract her so he can win. He offers to go to the Oracle (which she knows he hates). The race starts and then Stymphalian birds attack. Percy and Annabeth team up to get to the Big House. They grab Chiron’s boom box and head back to the arena. The noise of Chiron’s music drives the birds away and the Apollo cabin has a chance to shoot them down. Tantalus decides to punish Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson for disturbing the race.

Percy, Tyson, and Annabeth are given kitchen cleanup duty as punishment for disturbing the race. percy recounts his dream and Annabeth explains that the Golden Fleece (heals whatever land it is in) is what has been attracting the satyrs that don’t return from their search for Pan. At the campfire that night, Percy tells the story and gives the coordinates the Grey Sisters gave him. Tantalus decides to send Clarisse on the quest. When people start to protest, he tells them his story. He stole some food from the gods in hopes of recreating it. When they gods found out, they were not happy and punished him. He decided to get his revenge by feeding them his children. He warns that curfew will be strictly enforced and anyone that leaves without permission will be expelled. That night, Percy sneaks down to the beach to think. Hermes gives him a thermos containing the winds of the four corners of the earth and a bottle of multivitamins. Percy asks why Hermes is helping him and realizes he wants him to help Luke. Annabeth and Tyson start to approach and the god leaves him with three packed duffle bags and points out a ship in the distance. Percy has to decide quickly.

Annabeth and Tyson come running and they both decide to go with him. He goes into the water and asks for his father’s help. Three hippocampi (horses with fish tails) arrive to take them to the cruise ship, the Princess Andromeda. The ship seems to be deserted, so they look around to find a safe place to sleep. Annabeth warns them not to eat or drink anything. Percy dreams of Kronos mocking him for going on another quest for the gods. He then dreams of Grover weaving in the cave. They all wake up and decide to leave the ship after seeing humans in a trance and monsters mixed together. However, they hear Luke talking about a trap he has set and they decide to find out what that is.

They follow Luke and Tyson can hear him talking to Agrius and Oreius (mom was made to fall in love with a hear and had the twins). Luke discovers them quickly and tries to get them to join his side. Kronos gets stronger with each demigod that joins them. He has a spy at the camp and already knows their plans. He sends Oreius to feed them to the Aethiopian dragon. They are able to get away and escape to a life boat.

Percy uses the thermos to land and make a speedy getaway from the cruise ship. Annabeth leads them to a hideout and percy sends Tyson to look for a wilderness store. Annabeth explains that Percy and Thalia are a lot alike. She indicates that it was a cyclops that killed her. Tyson comes back with donuts and points out a chain store close by. Annabeth explains that the chains are all connected for breeding monsters. A hydra appears, but they don’t have a way to kill it without fire to keep the heads from multiplying. Clarisse comes along on the CSS Birmingham and destroys it with a shot from one of her canons.

Clarisse shows them around the ship and refuses to accept their help (even though her cabin mates turned down the opportunity to join her). They are taken to the sleeping quarters and Percy dreams about Grover. Polyphemus has caught him unraveling the bridal train and gives him magic wool that won’t unravel. He has one day to finish. Percy is woken up because they are about to enter the Sea of Monsters. They have to pass between Charybdis (sucks up and spits out the sea) and Scylla (snatches sailors from the ship). Annabeth suggests an alternate route through the clashing rocks, but Clarisse insists they head towards Charybdis. As the mouth breaths in, they are sucked forward too fast. Tyson goes to fix the ship’s engine. They fire cannons, but when the monster breathes out, they are fired back and crack the haul of the ship. The engines are about to explode, so percy goes after Tyson while the others get to the life boats. They are pushed back too far and Scylla snatches Percy. He is able to get himself free by stabbing her in the eye. As he falls from the monster dropping him, the ship explodes and sends him flying into the water.

Percy wakes up on one of the lifeboats with Annabeth. She used the last of the wind in the thermos to get them away. He asks her about the prophecy Luke mentioned and she tells him that he first child of one of the Big Three to turn 16 would be a weapon to save or destroy the age to the Olympians. They reach an island with a spa and are taken to meet C.C. (Circe). She immediately gets Percy and Annabeth to agree to separate. She shows Percy what he could look like if he drinks her mixture. He does and is turned into a guinea pig. Annabeth returns and realizes something is wrong when Percy is missing. She asks Circe to say goodbye to Percy and the room is locked. She grans the multivitamins and takes one. She is immune to magic temporarily and gets her dagger to the sorceress’ neck when she returns to the room. She gives the guinea pigs vitamins and they all change back. One of them is Blackbeard, a son of Ares. Percy and Annabeth run out and board the Queen Anne’s Revenge. Percy is able to sail it on his own and they leave.

After sailing through the night, Annabeth tells percy that when they first went to camp, she, Luke and Thalia got lost in a cyclops’ maze. Annabeth was able to free Thalia, who took care of the rest, but it gave the other monsters that had been following them time to catch up. Percy dreams about Thalia and her shield in Luke’s conference room. She goes to kill Kronos in his sarcophagus (where he is being reformed), but she is sucked in. Annabeth wakes him up and warns him they are approaching the sirens. She wants to listen to their song because it is rumored to make a person wiser. Percy ties her up and plugs his own ears with wax. he looks away from her because she looks miserable. When he looks back, she is already swimming for the sirens. He catches up and when he grabs her, he sees her dream; New York city completely rebuilt by her stands tall while her parents and Luke invite her to join them. Percy realizes that the song can’t be heard underwater and pulls her down. He forms an air bubble around them to get them back to the ship and out of the Siren’s territory. Annabeth learned that her fatal flaw (all demigods have one) is hubris. They reach the cyclops’ island.

As they make their way towards the cave, Percy and Annabeth find the Golden Fleece surrounded by sheep that eat an entire dear in seconds. They decide to worry about that after they save Grover. They cross the rope bridge and start climbing the cliffs to the cave. Once inside, they see Grove and Clarisse sealed into another room with a boulder. They wait until nightfall when Polyphemus will bring his regular sheep into the cave. Percy attaches himself to the bottom of one to get in. Annabeth distracts the cyclops by telling him she is Nobody. Polyphemus chases her and Percy has a chance to rescue the others. Clarisse tells him that no one else survived on the Birmingham. Annabeth screams.

Polyphemus holds Annabeth so Percy sends Clarisse and Grover to sneak up behind him and attack from either side. The cyclops drops Annabeth and Percy has Grover get her out. They make a run for it and make it over the rope bridge to where the man-eating sheep are. They try to cut the bridge but Polyphemus still has enough time to reach them. Percy is able to take him down and trusts that he will let them leave with the Golden Fleece. As soon as Percy releases him, the cyclops goes back on his word. Tyson arrives and throws a rock down Polyphemus’ throat and knocks him off the cliff. He gets the fleece to Percy and they use it to heal Annabeth. Tyson distracts the sheep so they can get to the ship. When they start going into the water, Polyphemus comes back from over the cliff.

Tyson and Percy fight off Polyphemus while the others head for the ship. They are able to get away and start swimming to join the others. Clarisse starts yelling insults at the cyclops. He is able to sink their ship by throwing a boulder at her voice. Percy and Tyson call on the hippocampi to help their friends.

The hippocampi drop them off the shore of Miami. Percy realizes they don’t have much time to get the fleece to Thalia’s tree. Tyson produces the money Hermes gave them and Percy sends Clarisse to the airport with the fleece. Luke finds them shortly after and takes them back onto the cruise ship. He intends to go after Clarisse, but while he is waiting for his steed, Percy has Luke repeat what he has done and plans to do. Unfortunately for Luke, Percy sent an Iris message to Mr. D, which proves Chiron’s innocence in the situation. Luke calls out more guards to surround them.

Percy challenges Luke to fight one on one. A black pegasus mare is brought out and percy can hear how much she hates Luke. percy and Luke fight, but Percy’s leg is hurt and it looks like he is going to loose. Suddenly, Chiron and his cousins ride in and save the day. They are able to get them away from the ship and to their camp. Chiron doesn’t know if Percy is the one in the prophecy, but he thinks Kronos will kill Percy because he won’t join his side to end Western Civilization.

They get back to camp in time to see Clarisse put the fleece on Thalia’s tree. Everything is healed and even better than before. Chiron decides to keep the chariot races . When Percy is preparing their horses the night before, Hermes comes to him. He apologizes to the god for not being able to get Luke back on their side. Hermes gives him a letter from Poseidon that just says, “Brace yourself.” Thanks to improvements to the Athena chariot, the Athen/Poseidon team win the race. Percy publicly thanks his little brother for his help.

Percy calls his mom to let her know he is safe. Chiron sorts out the legal matters with his last school using the mist. Tyson leaves camp to work in the Cyclops forges. Grover (stayed at camp on furlough) wakes Percy up one morning because something happened while Annabeth was guarding the tree. The fleece healed Thalia back into living human form.

About the Blogger

My name is Michelle, and I like to read... a lot. As I read a book, I take notes after each chapter. When I finish the book, I type out a summary and post it in this blog.It has taken me a while to find a process that really works. Some of my older summaries will be short and just summarize the overall plot.